29 December 2009 Mt Anton and Mt Twynam - plus Blue Lake - from Guthega
Map: Perisher Valley 8525-2S 1:25000 First Edition
Getting There
This walk was organised and led by Max S as an ad-hoc FBI Tuesday walk:
Next Tuesday is an extension of Kosciuszko Karen's kapers. Just don't get too use to the coffee and cake because that goes later in the year for those of us reluctant to get cold wet feet! However the walk should relieve you of some of that extra xmas cheer so long as Jindabyne is treated with caution. The walk is exploratory for me. The plan is to leave cars at Guthega as before. Walk to Illawong Hut, cross Snowy River and take a ridge to Mount Anton. From Mt Anton, along ridge to Mt Twynam. Route back to depend on what looks reasonable. Nearly all of track. About 17 km and 800 m or so. Leave Kambah shops at 6.00 am Weather - Snowy forecast out to Saturday OK but will reconsider closer to Tuesday. Canberra - The weather is much the same from Saturday to Tuesday - Tuesday Chance shower/thunderstorm. Min 16 Max 28. Karen/Mike - appreciate any comments you may have on the proposal. Indication of interest? Note - 4 or more required for this to be a sanctioned FBI walk.
5 of us drove in 2 cars to Guthega. Plenty of walkers about, as the car parking area at the start of the footpad to Illawong was full. We backed up a few hundred metres and parked on the edge of the road. Just on 3 hours, including a stop at the Jindabyne bakery for coffee and an egg and bacon pie.
Further Information
Forecast for Tuesday for Snowy region Fine, mostly sunny with northeast winds. Thredbo Top Station Fine, mostly sunny. Min: 7 Max: 18. Karen has walked Anton to Twynam – it will be embarrassing if we take longer than 1.5 hrs, considering the snow, ice and long stops they encountered with full packs! Mike has snow shoed to Anton and back comfortably in a day.
Photographs
Access all primary pics here. All thumbnails in the walk report are active - click for a larger picture.
Walk
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Away at 9am on a perfect day. I'd noted Max's walk description which took an each-way bet by describing 'Nearly all of track'. This could be read as a finger slip from either 'on' or 'off' track - as it turned out, he was correct on both counts. 2.5km in 50mins along the footpad and across the suspension bridge over the Snowy River. A picture-perfect view up the river from just up the hill from the bridge. |
| View up the Snowy River |
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From here, Max had a bearing which we used as a guide to take us up a 400m climb to Mt Anton. The flowers were more prolific than on our last visit 3 weeks ago, but they still have a way to go. Lovely alpine walking, with views all round. We crossed the top of Pounds Creek at around the 1900m contour and reached Mt Anton at 11.10am. Around 3.2km from the Snowy River to Mt Anton with the 400m climb, in a relaxed 1hr35mins. |
| Flowers on the climb to Mt Anton | Climbing towards Mt Anton | 1 Top of Pounds Creek below Mt Anton |
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Wonderful views as we enjoyed morning tea. To the NE and E was Mt Tate and the Tate East Ridge which we'd trodden on 8 Dec 09. To the NW was the gigantic drop to things unseen and to the W, Watsons Crags. To the SW, along the Great Dividing Range, lay our route to Mt Twynam. It must look very different when under snow. |
| Mt Tate and the Tate East Ridge from Mt Anton | 2 Route towards Mt Twynam from Mt Anton | Route towards Mt Twynam from Mt Anton |
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Setting off to to the SW down through the saddle and up the ridge, at one stage we came across an old benched track and footpad (the alternative AAWT?), but lost it as we chose to ascend a knoll for the view. Fantastic! |
| View to Watsons Crags and W from NE of Mt Twynam |
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We gained Mt Twynam at 12.10pm, covering the 1.9km from Mt Anton in 45mins. Another party had just left the top and, walking the tracks in view, we could see several others enjoying the day. Again, the views were huge, with our attention drawn to the SW and Mt Koscuiszko and the Abbott Ridge. Patches of dusty snow still about. At least this part of KNP was a little familiar, having visited Mt Twynam, camped near Alice Rawson Peak and walked the Main Range Track on 9-10 Apr 05.
After a time taking in the views and discussing options, we decided to enjoy a stroll down the track which leads from Mt Twynam. Flowers coming into their own. |
| Mt Koscuiszko, and Mt Towsend and Alice Rawson Peak on Abbott Ridge from Mt Twynam | 3 Mt Koscuiszko above flowers from near Mt Twynam |
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The track from Mt Twynam takes a graceful arc to the NW, high above the Blue Lake area. The flowers were delightful and will be in their peak of profusion in a few weeks. Many walkers enjoying the area, a large party from Sydney NPA including a Canberra walking friend, Jacqui R (can't miss her ready smile in a large crowd). The views to the W, to Watsons Crags and The Sentinel, are staggering. |
| Flowers | Flowers | View to Abbott Ridge and Mt Sentinel from Mt Twynam track |
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We decided to pull in for lunch at 1.00pm, overlooking the junction of the Mt Twynam track with the Main Range Track. From Mt Twynam to here we'd covered 2.6km in 40mins, passing a couple of groups camping off the W of the track. We chose a rocky outcrop which gave a view to the W, down a wild feeder creek to Lady Northcote s Creek and with a view to Mt Sentinel. This is huge country, dropping 800m over 2km away to the W. The breeze did a reasonable job of keeping the bush flies and march flies at bay. |
| View from lunch | View from lunch |
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Again Max offered several options. But as he hadn't trodden the Main Range Track, we chose to cut the corner, head to the Blue Lake lookout, then down the Blue Lake Walk to near its shore. Excellent views to the 100m cliffs on its NW side, where they ice-climb in winter. We followed the track along the right side of Blue Lake Creek for a while, then struck off E and NE, contouring back towards the suspension bridge at around the 1900m contour. Social contact with other groups diminished markedly. Nice views down towards Hedley Tarn. |
| 4 Blue Lake | Blue Lake | Hedley Tarn |
From Blue Lake to the suspension bridge was 4.8km in 1hr35mins, crossing the foot of Crummer Spur, a couple of rivulets cascading down to the Snowy River and Twynam Creek. A plod along the right bank of the Snowy River back to the cars.
An uneventful trip home, with a stop at the Jindabyne bakery to have a drink and a bite and for drivers to stock up on caffeine.
Thanks Max, a magic day. And to Dick M, Mike B and Rus W.
Distance: 19.3km Climb: 700m. Time: 9am - 4pm (7hrs), with 45mins of stops.
Grading: L/M; H(12)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Mt Anton and Mt Twynam - plus Blue Lake - from Guthega
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This page last updated 10Aug22